The top reported proficiency rate is 26% in Science. The lowest is 8% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Kipp Memphis Academy Middle
KIPP Memphis Academy Middle is a charter school that served middle school grades only in Memphis, Tennessee. The school is now closed; it is no longer accepting students. That operational status matters first: a family reading this today will not be able to enroll here, so the story you are about to read is a look at a school that has exited the system.
When it was open, KIPP Memphis Academy Middle belonged to the national KIPP charter network, a set of schools that historically emphasize extended instructional time, a college-prep culture, and high expectations. The school operated under the authority of Memphis-Shelby County Schools, the large unified district covering Shelby County. The school’s grade band was exclusively middle school, so there is no high school graduation rate to report and no college or career pathway data – those apply only to schools serving high school grades. Likewise, state testing results from the most recent year available, the school year ending in 2023, showed that nearly every enrolled student took the state assessments, a sign of strong test participation.
On those state tests, the pattern was clear. In math, a modest share of students reached the state’s proficiency benchmark. In English language arts, that share was higher but still well below the majority. In science and social studies, the share of students meeting the state standard was larger than in math and ELA, but still a minority. Across all subjects, the school’s proficiency levels fell in a range that a parent would want to compare with other middle school options in Memphis, were the school still open. No year-over-year trend data was available, so it is not possible to say whether performance was improving, stable, or declining.
The school’s enrollment and student body information – total enrollment, racial and ethnic breakdown, share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, students with disabilities, and English learners – was not available in the data provided. That gap is common for a school that no longer operates, but it means a parent cannot assess the peer environment or support needs from these pages.
The school was located in Memphis, a large city along the Mississippi River with a deep cultural and civic infrastructure. Tom Lee Park downtown completed a major renovation with ballcourts and trails. Shelby Farms Park is among the largest urban parks in the country. Overton Park in midtown houses the Memphis Zoo. Beale Street, the National Civil Rights Museum, Graceland, Sun Studio, and the Stax Museum are landmarks. The Memphis Area Transit Authority runs public bus service. The city is home to the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies. Housing in the zip code around the school is below both the state and national typical home values, and rents are lower as well, consistent with the affordability of much of Memphis. The national median household income has been around a typical figure in recent years, and the unemployment rate has been consistent with the national rate.
The school’s closure is part of a broader context. The district has been undertaking a plan called Reimagining 901 that has involved school closures and consolidations, and a property tax referendum was pursued to fund district operations. No specific details about how KIPP Memphis Academy Middle fit into those plans were available in the data, but the pattern of charter school closures and district restructuring is a backdrop that a parent exploring Memphis schools would want to understand. Since the school is no longer open, the question for a parent is not about this school but about what other middle school options exist in the city, including other KIPP schools or other charter or traditional public schools in Memphis-Shelby County Schools. The data presented here gives a picture of a school that served middle school students with low overall proficiency rates and that has since ceased operations.
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